Even though this 1953 Kaiser Manhattan for sale on Hemmings.com may currently hold driveable dream status, we find it an exceptional car simply for the fact that it appears to be mostly all there. All too often, we see Kaisers either in fully restored condition or in last-legs condition, missing so many parts and sheetmetal that it would hardly be worth somebody’s time to restore it. This one, on the other hand, would make for an excellent restoration project. From the seller’s description:

original so.California car- 3 owners-rebuilt engine-trans-new brakes-the car is straight and rust-free-all the stainless trim is nice and intact-the bumpers are clean and straight-the paint is slightly faded but mostly original-the interior is 90 percent original and shows well-ready to cruise runs and drives nice-clear California title

13 Responses to “Hemmings Find of the Day – 1953 Kaiser Manhattan”

Kaiser wasn’t a bad looking car back in its day. That Continental F226 engine sure couldn’t have done them any favors when the competition was changing over to V8s or at least OHV engines. A car that size with that washing machine engine must have been a slug; have to get out and push it to get it moving. And yet it had a Hydromatic transmission. Why couldn’t Kaiser have built (or sourced out) a V8?

From what I read, they were trying to get an Olds Rocket V8 (which would have fit really well) but GM was having producing them (factory problems? labor? fire? something like that) and wouldn’t sell them any. I personally think the Kaiser family was getting tired of making cars and wanted a way out.

That’s a pretty decent price for this car. Looks like most of the hard to find parts are there. And a nice straight driver at that. Man, if I could let loose of the cash, I’d be all over this one. Outside of car circles, not many folks these days have ever heard of a Kaiser.

I had a ’52 Manhattan back in the 70′s. It was no worse than any other similar sized car with a six-cylinder and a hell of a lot better looking than anything the Big 3 had. It was upstaged only by the all-new ’53 Stude.

This one could have been built just behind the one I spotted at the Daytona Drive In church a couple years ago…about halfway down in the link below. The owner had found it in a chicken coop in Ohio, if I remember correctly.

When I was growing up my next door neighbor had a ’54 and used it as a taxi cab until 1961 when he bought a Chevy Bel Air. He’d wash it every other day no matter the season..and we lived in one of the snow belts of Massachusetts. His cab service was a one-man operation and he worked in Ayer Massachusetts bring people back and forth from Ft Devens.
What a classy looking car! I still want one.